Although some diehard comic fans might disagree, I thought Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme is a fun film that is a step in the right direction for Marvel Comics’ direct to DVD animated films.
The film is the fourth release in the Marvel’s animated film line, and is a step up from the less than stellar The Invincible Iron Man. Like Iron Man and the first Ultimate Avengers films, Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme is basically an origin tale, and also takes lots of liberties with the Dr. Strange comic’s history.
These changes might be upsetting to some fans of the comics, but if you don’t know what is changed it won’t really bother you. While I am a comic fan, I was only slightly familiar with Dr. Strange so I was able to enjoy the film despite some of the changes (such as the look of the character).
Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme was written by Greg Johnson (who has had a hand in writing all the Marvel animated films), and was directed by Jay Oliva (who was in the director’s chair for The Invincible Iron Man). The film features the voice talents of Michael Yama, Tara Strong, Paul Nakauchi, Bryce Johnson, Kevin Michael Richardson.
The story features tons of action throughout the entire film, and a classic showdown between Dr. Strange and The Dread Dormammu. The story is fairly straight forward. Dr. Stephen Strange is one of the world’s best surgeons and he has one of the world’s largest egos to go with his talent. He refuses to take any case that isn’t worthy of his talents, but is forced to investigate what is causing children to slip into a coma.
During his investigation, Strange is involved in a car crash that causes his hands to be crushed. No longer able to hold a scalpel, Strange’s world becomes a downward spiral as he searches for a treatment for his hands and slowly loses the life he used to know. His journey takes him to a Tibetan mountain - where he hopes to be healed by a mysterious man known as Ancient One.
While at the monastery, Strange discovers a new life and begins his journey to becoming the new Sorcerer Supreme. He also discovers the truth behind the children’s plight – which puts him on a direct path against The Dread Dormammu and his minions.
Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme features decent animation, and falls in line with the artwork that has been done in the other Marvel Comic animated releases. However, it is also clear they are still behind some of the work being done by DC and Warner Bros. (such as the Justice League Unlimited and the various Batman series).
The story is entertaining, but don’t look for too much there. Johnson keeps the story’s pace moving along, and makes sure to pack in plenty of battles between the forces of good and evil. However, it never felt like a Dr. Strange story. Granted, I am no expert on Dr. Strange (again, I am only slightly familiar with the comic), but it just didn’t seem very mystical.
Instead, we get Strange and the main bad guy creating magical swords out of the elements and throwing down Conan style. It was entertaining, but I would have liked to have seen more magic from the Sorcerer Supreme. I was also slightly letdown by the final fight between Strange and Dormammu, but won’t add any spoilers to the review.
With that said, the movie is enjoyable, and I hope Marvel gives fans a sequel that maybe expands on Dr. Strange’s story and amps up the mystical elements. Based on the trailer for the next Marvel animated film (which looks like a step in the wrong direction to me), it doesn’t look like that will be happening soon.
Like the movie, the special features are a bit of hit and miss. I really enjoyed the “Who is Dr. Strange?” featurette – which gives you a pretty detailed look at the character’s history and the film’s villain. However, I didn’t really see the need for a feature on “The Best of Marvel Video Game Cinemaics.” Since I am not a video game player, this served no real purpose to me. There is also some nice concept art that fans of the film will enjoy taking a look at.
Finally, the DVD includes a “First Look” at the upcoming 2008 release Avengers Reborn. While I might be eating my own words in 2008 after I watch the feature, this movie looks like a step in the wrong direction to me. It basically has Ultron taking out the Avengers (which sounds like a great movie), and Tony Stark rushing the Avengers’ kids into hiding. There they grow up to be a new batch of Avengers. It will probably be a fun movie, but the trailer didn’t leave me counting the days until it is released.
If you are a fan of Marvel’s direct to DVD animated films or comics, Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme is worth watching. The film has some problems and diehard fans might be disappointed in some of the changes made to the character. However, it also has a ton of action and captures the spirit of a comic book animated film. In the end, I liked it, and I hope they get around to making a sequel.
Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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